FOURTH PERIOD 564- DRUM HOUSE with the more recent mansion just described, it is worth while recalling from the pages of the Memorie the circumstances connected with the preliminary arrangements for building the old house of Drum, and all the more so that we get a glimpse of building operations then going on at Seaton Palace, which, like Cowthally, is unfortunately one of the vanished glories of Scotland. We read in vol. i. page 459 ' " The parliament being brocken up, the Lord Somervill 1 comes to the Drum, accompanyed with his father or his brother-in-law (for I am not certane which of the two he was to him), Alexander, Lord Seatone, and John Millne, the kings master meassone. Haveing pitched upon the place for situatione, they agree with him for building a house, the lenth, breadth, and hight, being condescended upon. The wholl contryveance, with the price, was, by the Lord Somervill and Master Millne, remitted to the Lord Seatoune, he being one of the greatest builders of that age ; and at that very tyme had the kings master of worke at Seatoune, build- ing that large quarter of his palace towards the north-east. The place of Drum was begun in June, 1584, and finished in October, 1585, in the same forme it is in at present, but one storey laigher ; it being some years thereftir by ane casuall fyre brunt doune, Hugh Somervill, youngest sone, but then second sone by the death of his breathren, to this Lord Hugh, rebuilt the same, and raised it one storie higher. The roumes are few, but fair and large ; the entrie and stair-caice extremely ill placed, neither is the outward forme modish, being built all in lenth in forme of a church. It was finished the second tyme, being againe brunt by acci- dent in anno 1629 ; and soe remaines untill this day in the possessione of the first builder's posteritie. " This nobleman, in imitatione of his father-in-law, repaired much of Cowthally house, and made it some what more light, most of the roumes before this being over darke. He likewayes took off the roof from the long gallery, and raised it in hight equall to the two towers whereunto the same gallery joyned, and sclait it all with sclaites. This worke he finished in the year 1586. The building of the house of Drum, and the repairing of the castle of Cowthally, occasioned this lord to contract more debt than what formerly he had putt himself into, by his pleaing with the house of Cambusnethen." 2 A memorial still remains at Drum of the successor of the author of the Memorie, James, the twelfth Lord, an iron door-knocker on the outer door of the old house. It bears his initials, J. S., with the date 1698. It is fashioned very much after the manner of the knocker at Traquair, of which a sketch is given. 1 Hugh, eighth Lord Somerville, who attended the Parliament held in Edinburgh ad May 1584. 2 Relating to a dispute with the Somervilles of Cambusnethan, who seem for a short time to have been possessed of Drum.
